Arsenal are working on a second offer for Douglas Luiz after their original £20million bid was turned down by Aston Villa.
Sportsmail understands the Gunners are planning a second offer worth in the region of £23m but Villa are determined to keep the player.
Earlier on Thursday, it emerged Liverpool had been sounded out over a move for the Brazilian as Jurgen Klopp sought cover for his injury-plagued squad.
Arsenal are working on a second offer for Douglas Luiz after an original £20m bid was rejected
Mikel Arteta needs midfielders after injuries to both Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny
But the Reds have now switched their attention to Juventus outcast Arthur Melo and look set to complete a loan deal for the Brazilian by the 11pm deadline.
Luiz is in the last year of his deal at Villa and can sign a pre-contract in January ahead of leaving on a free next summer.
He has been nudged down the pecking order at Villa Park by the summer arrival of Boubacar Kamara from Marseille.
But manager Steven Gerrard can’t afford to lose players however as he looks to add three signings to bolster his squad on Thursday.
Mikel Arteta needs midfield reinforcements after injuries to both Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny in recent days.
That left the Spaniard with just Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga to pick from for Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Villa on Wednesday night.
Luiz scored an equaliser at Arsenal when his corner flew straight past Aaron Ramsdale
Summer signing Oleksandr Zinchenko – who has so far played at left back but can also be deployed in midfield – is sidelined as well.
Luiz started on the bench for Steven Gerrard at Arsenal on Wednesday but came on to score an equaliser when his corner flew straight past Aaron Ramsdale.
Villa have made a poor start to the season, winning just once and losing four more – therefore, Luiz could be tempted by a move away.
The defensive midfielder has nine caps for his national team – where he competes for a place alongside the likes of Casemiro, Fabinho and Fred – and has played 115 times for Villa, scoring six and assisting eight more.
Villa are among the clubs to have asked about Leander Dendoncker at Wolves and Conor Gallagher at Chelsea.